Polymer compositions for demulsifying crude oil

Abstract

Polymer compositions made by reacting a polyol with an aromatic hydrocarbon containing only a single reactive functionality have been discovered to be useful demulsifiers for crude oil compositions. The aromatic hydrocarbon should have at least one aryl group and only one functionality reactive with a hydroxyl. The polyol may optionally be crosslinked prior to reaction with the aromatic hydrocarbon, and the crosslinking agent may be a diepoxide.

We claim:  
     
       1. A method of demulsifying emulsions of oil and water comprising: 
       adding a polymer to an emulsion, where the polymer comprises the reaction product of:  
       a polyol made by reacting alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and mixtures thereof, with a starting compound having at least one functional group reactive with alkylene oxide, where the starting compound is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, trimethylol propane, sucrose, polyethyleneimine, pentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, alkylphenol-based resins, alkanolamines, alkylamines, aryl or aromatic amines, α-methylglucoside, β-methylglucoside or other methylglucoside, aniline, mixed phenol aniline, bisphenol A, and mixtures thereof; and  
       an aromatic hydrocarbon having at least one aryl group and only one reactive functionality, where the reactive functionality is a glycidyl ether moiety;  
       where the molar equivalent ratio of aromatic hydrocarbon to hydroxyl groups on the polyol ranges from about 0.1 to about 1.2,  
       and where the aromatic hydrocarbon terminates the polyol; and  
       permitting the emulsion to resolve into an oil phase and a water phase.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  where the polyol is reacted with a diepoxide to make a cross-linked polyol prior to reaction of the cross-linked polyol with the aromatic hydrocarbon containing one reactive functionality. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  2  where in the polyol, the diepoxide is made by reacting Bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1  where in the polymer, the aromatic hydrocarbon has the formula:                    
       where X is a glycidyl ether moiety; where y ranges from 0 to 5, and where R is a straight, branched or cyclic; aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon substituent containing from 1 to 15 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim  4  where in the polymer, the aromatic hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of epoxide derivatives of cardanol, and phenyl glycidyl ether. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  1  where in the polymer, the aromatic hydrocarbon is naphthyl glycidyl ether. 
     
     
       7. A method of demulsifying emulsions of oil and water comprising: 
       adding a polymer to an emulsion, where the polymer comprises the reaction product of:  
       a polyol made by reacting alkylene oxide with a starting compound having at least one functional group reactive with alkylene oxide, where the alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and mixtures thereof and, where the starting compound is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, trimethylol propane, sucrose, polyethyleneimine, pentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, alkylphenol-based resins, alkanolamines, alkylamines, aryl or aromatic amines, α-methylglucoside, β-methylglucoside or other methylglucoside, aniline, mixed phenol aniline, bisphenol A, and mixtures thereof; and  
       an aromatic hydrocarbon containing only one reactive functionality of the formula:                    
        where X is a glycidyl ether moiety; where y ranges from 0 to 5, and where R is a straight, branched or cyclic; aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon substituent containing from 1 to 15 carbon atoms; and  
       where the molar equivalent ratio of aromatic hydrocarbon to hydroxyl groups on the polyol ranges from about 0.1 to about 1.2, and where the aromatic hydrocarbon terminates the polyol; and  
       permitting the emulsion to resolve into an oil phase and a water phase.  
     
     
       8. The method of claim  7  where the polyol is reacted with a diepoxide to make a cross-linked polyol prior to reaction of the cross-linked polyol with the aromatic hydrocarbon containing one reactive functionality. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  8  where in the polyol, the diepoxide is made by reacting Bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  7  where in the polymer, the aromatic hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of epoxide derivatives of cardanol, and phenyl glycidyl ether.